A considerable variety of apparatus have been developed over the years for packaging prewound spools of web material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,940,232 discloses such an apparatus for use with photographic film in which strips of film are wound on spools, after which the wound spools are inserted axially into previously formed cylindrical magazine shells to which one end cap has already been applied, the shells having axially extending lips through which the leader of the film strip extends in the familiar manner. The cap for the open end of the shell is later applied. U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,845 discloses a multistation packaging apparatus in which a bendable chipboard blank is pressed into an elongated arcuate shape having an axially extending slot through which a wound core of product can be inserted, after which end caps are applied. U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,258 shows an apparatus for winding photographic film in which a previously formed magazine is provided which has axially extending lips. The spool is automatically oriented within the magazine to permit a guide tongue to insert film through the lips and into engagement with the core of the spool, after which the film is wound onto the spool within the magazine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,711 discloses another apparatus in which the film is inserted into an already complete magazine and wound onto the spool within the magazine. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,115,913 and 4,614,019 show somewhat different types of methods and apparatus for winding film and loading prewound spools into magazines, in which the magazine shells are preformed with a rather wide axially extending slot, to facilitate axial insertion of a prewound spool of film, after which the shells are closed and end caps are applied.
While automatic packaging apparatus and methods of the types just discussed have achieved a measure of acceptance and success over the years, a need has continued to exist for apparatus and methods, without sacrificing quality of the finished package or damaging the product during the packaging process. Particularly for winding and packaging photographic films and other sensitized materials which must be handled in near total darkness, a need has existed for such more productive equipment which would require a minimum of operator intervention during use.